stovetop herb brown butter mashed potatoes
One potato…
You’ll have to wait for two potato.
Throwing in your face a pot of steaming hot, easy, silky mashed potatoes. Well, only aiming for you directly if you’re an asshole who deserves a boiling heap of potatoes straight to the noggen. Which, if you’re here in this space, you probably don’t deserve that, so consider this figurative speech.
Doing the mashed potato on Thanksgiving is almost a given. We always dished out a big bowl during our dinners in my youth, and I could not pass this year up without providing ya’ll with one that takes about as much effort as sneezing. Just comes naturally, you know?
I’ve two potato dishes to share before The Big Day, but let’s start with these Stovetop Herb Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes. The big kicker with these suckers is cooking them directly in the creamy, buttery blend you normally reserve for after the boiling process. Throw in a behemoth of fresh seasonal herbs, mash them up, and wabam – you’ve done the mashed potato. Congrats.
Butter Butter…Butter…Time?
One point I’ll make right away is I found an enameled Dutch oven the best for these potatoes. You will always need to stir them occasionally while they boil to prevent the butter from settling on the bottom. Kinda like you would pasta so the noodles don’t stick.
That said, these potatoes are stupid simple. I chose to peel my russets, but if you don’t mind a little rustic texture, feel free to keep the skins on.
First up: brown butter in the pot and throw in some garlic cloves. Pour the butter out into a bowl and reserve (keep the garlic in the pot). Then, toss in your potatoes (careful if it splatters) and whisk in a mix of whole milk and canned coconut milk (you can also use heavy cream here) and toss in some whole herbs. We’re talking sage, rosemary, and thyme.
Bring that whole shebang to a boil and let those taters mellow down into pseudo-mush. Agitate the milk every so often with a spoon to prevent any remaining butter from settling on the bottom of the pan. 15-20 minutes later, those spuds are ready to be hammered.
This Is How You Mashed Potato
Important: strain the potatoes from the milk, but into a bowl. Don’t throw that beautifully infused liquid down the drain. That would be a holiday tragedy, man.
Enlist your handy potato masher. Add the browned butter and some of the cream back into the potatoes and start plowing your way to smooth, creamy perfection. Keep adding until you’ve reached the texture you like. I used probably 2/3 of the cream since I quite like an extra satiny texture. Along the way, season with salt and pepper to your taste.
You certainly don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving for these potatoes, or reserve them specifically for the occasion. I cooked these and served them with a very special salmon dish I’m hyped to share, but have to wait until later for. The SUSPENSE. They’re wonderful for a weeknight where you need an extra swath of comforting warmth, and potatoes are the only thing to fit the craving.
And yes, I promise, there is a “two potato.” Keep your pants on, folks, it’s coming soon!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Sage observations, young grasshopper:
Spicy Roasted Garlic Sage White Bean Dip
Sage Parmesan Chickpea Meatballs with White Wine Gravy
Pumpkin Sage Butter Brioche Dinner Rolls
stovetop herb brown butter mashed potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lb russet or gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into cubes
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 sage leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Toss in the garlic cloves and heat until the butter browns, about 3-4 minutes. Pour the butter into a large bowl, but keep the garlic cloves in the pan.
- Add the potatoes, whole milk, coconut milk, sage leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very soft and fall apart when poked with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the potatoes over the bowl with the butter. Discard the woody stems of the rosemary and thyme, and the sage leaves. Keep the cream. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork, adding the cream mixture as needed until you achieve your desired texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl. If desired, brown an extra couple tablespoons of butter and swirl into the potatoes. Serve warm.
